T-ara holds first public appearance at Jeju concert

It has nearly a month since the big controversy surrounding the popular idol group T-ara began. The girls have officially made their comeback to the K-pop scene with weekly music programs as well as a recent concert appearance.

T-ara attended the ‘2012 World Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources‘ concert in Jejudo Islands held on September 8th.

Other artists such as BoA, SHINee, 2AM, Wooyoung, ZE:A, EXO-K, Nine Muses, and A Pink also attended and put on stunning performances.

However, during T-ara’s performance some fans retaliated by turning their glow-stick off which followed by a silent protest.

Meanwhile on September 18th, T-ara will be in Hong Kong for a documentary showcase.

Source: x Sports News via Naver

Lee Jang Woo to perform on ‘Music Core’ with “Words I Couldn’t Bear To Say”

Actor Lee Jang Woo will be standing on stage as a singer for this week’s ’Music Core‘.

Lee Jang Woo will be singing “Words I Couldn’t Bear To Say“, the song he sang for on-screen wife T-ara‘s Eunjung on MBC’s ‘We Got Married‘. The song even placed 1st on real time charts after the emotional end to their on-screen marriage.

His agency, Made M Entertainment, stated, “‘Words I Couldn’t Bear To Say’ was popular on music charts, so we decided after much thought that the best way to give back to fans is to hold a live performance“.

Lee Jang Woo is currently hard at work preparing for his debut stage, so don’t forget to check it out on September 1st (today)!

Source + Image: Star Today via Nate

T-ara reveals more teaser images for “Sexy Love”

Girl group T-ara is gearing up for their comeback and has recently revealed more album images from ‘Mirage‘.

Along with the new pictures, the girls also commented on their ‘Sexy Love‘ comeback stating, “We will work extremely hard and stand on stage with a more matured image.”

Core Contents Media stated, “We apologize for the misunderstandings that brought on more misunderstandings. T-ara believes that showing fans themselves working their absolute hardest within Korea as well as overseas, is the best way to give back to them.”

‘Sexy Love’ will be released on September 3rd and is part of T-ara’s 7th mini album. The girls worked once again with Shinsadong Tiger and Choi Kyu Sung, who produced their ‘Roly Poly‘ and ‘Lovey Dovey‘.

Source + Image: Osen via Nate

Some netizens skeptical that T-ara handwrote the apology letter

Earlier today, Core Contents Media responded to rumors that the T-ara members did not write the apology letter themselves by stating that, “The T-ara members all got together to compose the letter, and the oldest unni Qri wrote it. They then posted it to Core Contents Media’s official homepage.”

However, when the apology letter was released on August 29th, Core Contents Media stated during an interview that, “Hyomin wrote the letter as the representative of T-ara.” Although it is true that it doesn’t really matter who wrote the letter, some netizens have shown annoyance by the fact that T-ara’s agency has been releasing statements that do not seem legitimate nor trustworthy.

Various netizens have been uploading captures of T-ara’s past handwritten material, comparing the writing styles and are now skeptical about whether someone else wrote the letter for the group instead. Netizens responded, “Why are they making so many controversies?“, “Finally releasing an apology letter right before their comeback? Hmm..“, and “If the letter was written by someone else, I don’t feel that they are sincerely apologizing to the public. It just seems that they are trying to annul the issue for their comeback.”

Source: Star News via Nate + Kuki News via Nate

T-ara, “We couldn’t push back the comeback because of the never ending misunderstandings”

Despite the recent controversies, girl group T-ara has announced that they will be releasing their 7th mini-album ‘Mirage‘ on September 3rd. They explained, “We couldn’t push back our comeback anymore because of all the misunderstandings“.

On the 30th, Core Contents Media stated, “We could not push back the group’s comeback anymore; this situation where there is not one victim and not one perpetrator only keeps leading to misunderstandings upon misunderstandings.”

They also explained the reason for the late official apology. “The reason T-ara has kept silent for the past month was because they believed this to be a personal issue. But with all the misunderstandings piling up, the members have apologized for causing a problem“.

They also said, “Hwayoung and T-ara have met and they’ve already apologized and forgiven each other“.

Core Contents Media also added, “Once again we bow our heads in apology for all of the problems and concerns we have caused many people. We promise to work harder to make sure that another problem such as this will never come up again“.

With hopes of returning to their former glory, the girls of T-ara will be making their comeback to the music scene next week.

Source & Image: Osen News via Naver

[Breaking]T-ara releases handwritten apology letter to fans

The members of T-ara, who have been going through a rough time due to rumors of alleged bullying involving former member Hwayoung, released a handwritten apology letter to fans on their official website on August 29 KST.

The contents are as follows:

“We’ve written this after a lot of thought. The past month has felt much longer than our trainee days and the days we’ve promoted receiving our fans’ love. First of all, we sincerely apologize for causing concern and disappointing so many people. We feel that it was very foolish of us to not have resolved differences of opinion between the members and to have aired our personal issues in a public space. We’re reflecting deeply on our actions.”

“We sincerely apologize for acting thoughtlessly. We’ve been troubled every day by the thought that all of this could’ve been avoided if we had understood each other and compromised more and if we had acted more maturely. When we look back, we all worked hard together for the same dream and overcame obstacles, and it was really painful to see all the good times we’ve had together being cast in a negative light.”

T-ara also had a message concerning Hwayoung as well: “We also think that Hwayoung has been going through a very hard time after being misunderstood as [an ostracized loner]. We were surprised by the outcome, which no one thought of or wanted, and we’re disappointed that we can’t all be together now. We only hope that Hwayoung will no longer face [hurtful things like this].”

The letter went on, “We apologize to everyone for causing concern with this recent issue and disappointing those who’ve loved our music. We feel that this hard time has been a lesson for us. We’re supposed to give people strength, and we’ve now learned how much responsibility is on our shoulders. We’ve also realized that we must act responsibly and seriously.”

“For our parents who live for us, for our fans who’ve continued to stay by our side, for the people who listen to our music… and for those who we’ve worried and disappointed, we’ll work harder to receive your forgiveness instead of being frustrated. We genuinely apologize. We also hope that you give your support and love to Hwayoung, who must be having a harder time than we are. From all of T-ara.”

Read Hwayoung’s previous tweet in response to the T-ara controversy here if you missed it, and discuss your thoughts on the apology letter.

Source: Osen via Naver

Tip: Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

T-ara may make a comeback through September 7th’s ‘Music Bank’

It seems we may be seeing T-ara back on stage in September.

Although the controversy surrounding the group has not yet died down, the group is said to have chosen to go ahead with plans for their comeback.

According to insiders in the broadcast field, T-ara is scheduled to hold a special stage on the September 7th broadcast of ‘Music Bank‘ with their follow up song.

One representative from KBS revealed on August 29th, “T-ara’s ‘Music Bank’ comeback has already been decided upon by word of mouth within KBS.”

The news may surprise many as it seems a bit premature for the group to promote when the issue is still very much a hot topic in Korea. However, if you remember, Core Contents Media has stated from the beginning that the girls will continue on with promoting their follow up track.

On the topic of their quick return, the insider commented, “With the negative effects from the ‘T-ara situation’ reaching into their dramas, music, and advertisements, it seems the agency has decided to take the approach of facing the situation up front.”

It is also assumed that if their comeback plans once again get put on the chopping block with the public voicing their concerns, setbacks may happen, and thus the reason for the hurry in scheduling their comeback stage.

Another source shared, “T-ara’s halt of album promotions was voluntary, not due to restrictions from broadcast agencies. It seems they have decided, after much thought, to try to acclimatize the public through promoting instead.”

However, when contacted for an official statement from ‘Music Bank’, the staff of the show revealed that everything is still up in the air. They stated, “T-ara’s agency did contact us. We are currently negotiating on their appearance, but it has not been confirmed yet… We have not finalized the list of those appearing on the September 7th broadcast.”

Source + Photo: MK via Naver

Tip: wiselect7

Korean Actors Labor Union demands ‘Five Fingers’ PD & SBS issue a public apology to T-ara’s Eunjung

The Korean Actors Labor Union has requested SBS ‘Five Fingers‘ issue a public apology in regards to T-ara member Eunjung departing from the series.

The Labor Union stated through a press release on August 28th, “Even after a week following member Eunjung’s departure, SBS has failed to issue any kind of explanation, offer, or self-reflectance.”

“We are demanding that SBS and Yein E&M issue a sincere apology to member Ham Eunjung,” the Union continued. “The only way to restore her tarnished reputation is to essentially reveal the truth, and receive a genuine apology from all of you. PD Choi Young Hoon, you have no right to be a drama PD. Step down.”

The union accused that the PD tried to spin the reason for Eunjung’s departure on the T-ara controversy instead of the real reason, which was disagreement to PPL (product placement). “SBS and Yein E&M had requested member Eunjung to film the drama wearing sponsored goods (product placement) such as bags, accessories, and outfits, however, Eunjung had refused.”

“This was SBS and Yein E&M’s way of attempting to sign another contract in addition to the contract they already signed for her appearance,” the Union added. “This is the so-called additional ‘altered agreement’, and they presented irrelevant reasons and stated that [Eunjung's agency] would be responsible for compensation via support funds in the event the T-ara controversy (or Eunjung herself) would cause harm to the drama’s investors or sponsors. Her drama appearance contract was signed on July 17th, and the altered additional agreement was proposed to Eunjung’s agency on August 21st.”

“Even after all of this, how is it that SBS and the production company have not become conscience-stricken,” the Union criticized. They then demanded that “the contract conditions be carried out, and PD Choi Young Hoon take responsibility for tarnishing Eunjung’s reputation by removing her from the drama by stepping down and return Eunjung to the series.”

Source & Image : Herald via Naver

‘Five Fingers’ producers break silence on Eunjung’s exit and refute CCM’s claims

The production company of SBS‘ weekend drama ‘Five Fingers‘ has broken their silence on the controversy surrounding Ham Eunjung‘s exit from the series.

Production company Yein E&M released a press release on August 28th that read, “This was not an unilateral decision made by the staff members, and the PPL issue was not a reason for her exit. We hope that Eunjung’s agency will stop forcing their assertions, and if they continue, we will have no choice but to respond with appropriate legal action.”

They continued, “The reason why we did not respond even when news articles made inaccurate presumptions which Eunjung’s agency was asserting, was because we thought remaining silent and not arguing would be the last considerable act we could offer to Eunjung.”

They explained the situation behind Eunjung’s exit saying, “We were waiting for the agency to resolve the T-ara issue and even concluded our difficult press conference, however, the external noise did not seem to die down and therefore we held an emergency meeting with the production company and the staff members.”

They also talked about the PPL issue that was pinpointed by T-ara‘s agency and the media as the reason why Eunjung was thrown out of the drama. “Though the production company had already seen a loss of 1,000,000,000 KRW (~$880,000 USD), because the broadcast has already began, it was not a situation where throwing Eunjung out would have restored or resolved anything.”

In regards to the assertions that said they issued an official document which consisted of conditions that were worse than the original contract, they said, “It is not true that we sent official documents of any kind. The ‘agreement’ that Eunjung’s agency is talking about, is just a proposal first made by Eunjung’s agency, knowing her exit was becoming a controversy. They proposed that they would lower the conditions and be responsible for compensation. Throwing [Eunjung] out of the drama is not a decision the staff members can make on their own.”

Yein E&M also needed to explain the claims that said they did not properly deliver the decision to replace Eunjung to her agency. “SBS and the production company officially delivered the message. Being considerate towards Eunjung, we proposed she voluntarily step down from the drama, but the agency forced their assertions in the media and to various associations. Because we had no trust for the agency, we had no choice but to hold an emergency meeting with the staff members and production company, and we decided that it would be best for Eunjung to be removed.”

The company assured that this was the best decision by adding, “The reason why we did not remove her in the beginning was because we thought the bullying controversy was just a rumor, and that time would resolve everything. We trusted that the agency would take measures to try and resolve this, however, the controversy did not die down even after the broadcast began, and we decided to remove [Eunjung] for the sake of the other actors, actresses, and staff members.”

“We hope that Eunjung will be able to overcome her pain and stand on her own two feet again,” they said in conclusion. “We truly hope she will be able brightly stand before the viewers one day soon.”

In related news, T-ara’s Ham Eunjung was cast for the role of pianist Hong Dami in ‘Five Fingers’, but was removed from the drama a day before filming began.

Source & Image: Kuki News via Nate

[BREAKING] Hwayoung speaks on the controversy surrounding herself and T-ara

After keeping her silence for nearly a month, T-ara‘s former member, Hwayoung, has tweeted in response to the controversy and the way the situation has been unfolding.

Hwayoung wrote,

“Having come across articles about Eunjung unni’s leave from her drama, my heart felt uneasy. It is true that there were confrontations due to differences in opinions with the T-ara members while I was promoting as part of T-ara. However, with the stories about bullying going around and the situation growing worse, my heart was in pain. I was also really upset and hurt by the distorted facts [that have come out].

However, there were times when I was happy while we were all under one roof, so I want to forget about the past and want us to cheer each other on with smiles on our faces. You all showed so much love, care, and attention to T-ara, so I’m very sorry for having caused concern and worry through this incident to everyone.”

What are your thoughts on her words?

이번 은정언니 드라마하차기사를 접하고마음이좋지만은 않았습니다. 티아라활동을하면서 멤버들과 의견차로인해 대립이있었던건 사실이지만 이로인해 왕따설이돌고 상황이악화된사실들에 마음이 아팠습니다. 또한 서로 왜곡된사실들로 인해 상처받아 많이속상했습니다.

— 류화영 (@RHY422) August 28, 2012

하지만 한솥밥을먹고 지내며 행복했던날들도있었기에 지난일은 잊고 이젠다시웃는얼굴로 서로를응원하며 지내고싶습니다. 티아라를 많이사랑해주시고 아껴주시고 찾아주셨는데 이번사건때문에 여러분들에게 많은 심려와 걱정끼쳐드려 죄송했습니다.

— 류화영 (@RHY422) August 28, 2012

Source + Photo: Hwayoung’s Twitter

Jevice wants to be compared to Fly to the Sky

Girl’s Day‘s agency Dream Tea Entertainment recently debuted a talented female duo named Jevice. Comprised of members Juri and Hana, the girls received spotlight prior to their debut for their already well-known vocal talent.

As one of the few duos in the market, they were compared to Davichi, the representative female duo of K-pop. “If there’s a difference between us and Davichi, it’s that we can also do dance music. We think it’s more fitting to compare us to Fly to the Sky because we share more similarities with them in that they were able to pursue both ballad and dance.”

Unfortunately, fans will have to wait to see any dance music coming from Jevice in the near future. Hana revealed, “We want to be recognized for our vocal talent through ballads first before we show our dance skills. If you want to see our dancing, show more love to our debut title track, ‘I Want to Love Now‘.”

Although this is their debut, the girls are no rookies to the game. Juri was a part of the chorus for ‘Qualifications of Men‘, while Hana was a first generation member of T-ara in addition to having several OST releases under her belt.

Both share similarities in that their past ventures didn’t bring much attention or success. Aside from ‘Qualifications of Men’, Juri’s career as a solo artist failed to take off, and Hana departed from T-ara after struggling to adjust to life in a group.

Hana revealed, “Before I joined T-ara, I performed in a band in Hongdae, so it was hard for me to adjust to living in a girl group with few freedoms. I did regret leaving T-ara because my parents had such a hard time with it.”

Jevice continued, “In the past, we thought we’d succeed no matter what, but after going through failures, it made us realize that we have to work that much harder to get our song out there.”

On their recipe for success, the girls chose teamwork. “We liked different genres so the difference in music tastes was hard to gap, but now that we’re actually working together, we’re discovering things we have in common. We have the same taste in men, so we’re both fans of Kim Soo Ro in ‘Gentlemen’s Class’ for his humor and masculinity.”

Source + Photos: Sports Chosun via Naver

New photos of T-ara’s Hyomin on set of ‘The Thousandth Man’ revealed

T-ara‘s Hyomin has been captured on the set of her new drama, MBC‘s ‘The Thousandth Man‘.

A user recently uploaded two new photos of the singer-actress onto an online community board titled, ‘Hyomin filming for her new drama‘.

The newly shared photos show Hyomin dressed in a “bottomless fashion” with her hair tied up in the first photograph, and a red top and skinny jeans in the second.

Hyomin plays the role of gumiho on ‘The Thousandth Man’ who must eat the livers of 1,000 men in order to become a true human being.

Source & Image: Sports Chosun via Nate

Eye Candy: T-ara

Following the last weeks ‘Eye Candy: G-Dragon‘ edition courtesy of allthatkpops‘s staff, our ‘Eye Candy‘ series continues with T-ara!

In related news T-ara is set to hold their first showcase in Hong Kong, China on September 18th!

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‘Five Fingers’ sees a rise in viewer ratings

SBS weekend drama, ‘Five Fingers‘ is doing well despite the recent issues surrounding the replacement of T-ara‘s Eunjung with actress Jin Se Yeon.

According to the AGB Nielson, the third episode of ‘Five Fingers’ that aired on the 25th, recorded 14.1%, which is a 1.4% increase since last week. The pilot episode aired on the 18th recorded a rating of 11.2% while the second episode saw its numbers jump to 12.7%.

It is not certain whether the increase in ratings is due to the controversy around the replacement of Eunjung or the building story line of the drama itself. However, in the end, despite the dispute, the drama is off to a strong start at already over 14% with its third episode.

On the other hand, MBC‘s ‘May Queen‘, ‘Five Fingers’ competitor, recorded 11.3% for the pilot episode, 10.8% for the second episode, and 12% for the third, putting ‘Five Fingers’ into the lead.

Picture+Source: Nocut via Naver

Which moment do Eunjung and Lee Jang Woo remember most from ‘We Got Married’

On the August 25th broadcast of MBC‘s ‘We Got Married 3‘, Lee Jang Woo and Eunjung said their farewells on their 500-day anniversary.

The couple, who met in March of 2011, discussed what they remembered most from the time they spent with each other on the show.

Lee Jang Woo stated, “Though a lot has happened during this time, I can’t forget the moment we walked together hand in hand at our wedding in Lombok. I think of how beautiful you were. It was too much for us.”

Eunjung also shared that Lombok was particularly memorable for her, saying, “I can’t forget the moment you hugged me after preparing the gifts for our mothers.”

Which Lee Jang Woo-Eunjung couple moment is your favorite?

Source: Osen

‘Haeundae Lovers’ to limit scenes with T-ara’s Soyeon

The creators of ‘Haeundae Lovers‘ expressed their point of view concerning T-ara‘s Soyeon, who is starring in the KBS drama.

Writer Hwang Eun Kyung stated in a press conference on August 24 KST, “Right before the production meeting, we were caught off guard by the T-ara controversy that came from out of the blue. At the time, Soyeon had already completed filming 5 episodes, and though there was controversy, the truth still isn’t clear, which is why we couldn’t [decide to have her leave the show].”

It was also revealed that Soyeon would have less scenes in the drama. Hwang went on, “Of course, [because of the controversy], Soyeon’s [time on screen] will be reduced in the future. Considering Soyeon is young, she’s probably going through a rough time because of the situation and the harsh netizen reaction. I also personally hope that the agency shows more consideration and care for T-ara. Soyeon is currently doing her best not to cause harm to the drama.”

She had more to say concerning Core Contents Media and T-ara: “I think it’s [the agency's] fault that things have progressed this far. Soyeon got into a car accident on the way to the film set, and I heard people saying it was [fabricated]. That’s how bad the situation is. It’s to the point I feel disappointed in the agency for not managing things correctly.”

The writer went on to share that she herself cried after reading negative comments left on ‘Haeundae Lovers’ news articles, adding, “I can’t imagine how hurt [Soyeon] must feel reading comments like, ‘I won’t watch the drama because of so-and-so.’”

Hwang concluded, “In any case, what’s most important right now is for me to protect my work and my actors. I don’t think that the efforts of the people who worked hard for this drama should be affected by the controversy. The more [of an issue the controversy becomes], the less Soyeon will get air time…”

Source+Image: Star Today via Naver

Before and after makeup pictures of girl group members draw attention

A collection of pictures of girl group members with and without makeup have surfaced, attracting much attention from fans and netizens.

The collection of photos that have been making its way around on online portals feature After School‘s NaNa and Lizzy, T-ara‘s Jiyeon, miss A‘s Min, and Brown Eyed Girls‘ Ga In and Narsha.

The pictures surprised many who are unfamiliar with the differences in image that eye makeup can create, for the members give off a more fresh and innocent charm in their before pictures rather than the sexy image they usually show off on stage.

Netizens responded, “The importance of makeup“, “Makeup alone can make people look so different“, and “The before and after pictures are surprising.”

Source + Image: W Star News via Nate, Herald, Money Today

Korean Entertainment Management Association speaks up to defend T-ara’s Eunjung

The Korean Entertainment Management Association (KEMA) stated their position on T-ara‘s Eunjung unilaterally being dropped from her drama.

KEMA distributed an article to the media on August 23rd titled, ‘[Our] Opinion On The Irrational and Unilateral Breach Of Drama Contract.‘

According to this post, Eunjung had given up other activities including promotions overseas in order to put her full focus on this drama, however, the staff members of ‘Five Fingers‘ had without legitimate reason requested she voluntarily leave the drama. In the event that Eunjung did not comply with the request, there would be pressure put on both Eunjung and her agency.

Eunjung’s representatives had asked SBS for their reasons for removing Eunjung from the drama, but the staff members only brought up the unreasonable conditions for contract adjustments, stating that it would not be in the best interests of the staff members.

The KEMA remarked, “In the event the actor or actress needs to be replaced in the production course of the drama, negotiations must be made under the premise of mutual understanding, however, on August 22nd, the staff members and SBS did not relay any information regarding Eunjung’s exit from the series and announced the breach of contract through the media.”

“After seeing the actual evidence and hearing the testimonies, we were appalled when we found that this kind of inexcusable tyranny was in fact the truth,” they continued. “Our association realizes that this sort of backwards system carried out for drama contracts needs to be eradicated, so that the industry can develop more positively and become more wholesome. Thus, a few years ago we began working towards improving irrational contract practices, starting with the issue of nonpayments for acting appearances. These efforts are manifested in the ‘Standard Appearance Contract’ being established with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.”

They continued, “We will assert our claims and position so that Eunjung who was absurdly inconvenienced by this will be able to restore her dignity. We will look forward to the staff members taking sensible measures so that all the people involved will not be inconvenienced by this incident.”

Source & Image: SportsChosun

Tip: Lilah

Reporters discuss T-ara’s bullying controversy on ‘Special Press Conference’

A new clip of reporters reacting to T-ara‘s bullying controversy is heating up the internet.

On August 23rd, Echannel launched their new program ‘Special Press Conference‘, a new kind of variety talk show where 14 news reporters discuss issues concerning celebrities, athletes, business men and women, issues in society, and more.

Through the program they will be disclosing all the information that reporters have hidden until now- everything from BTS stories of issues that caused controversy in society, and the incidents that reporters have experienced while in the field.

Preparing for their first episode, ‘Special Press Conference’ pre-released a video clip titled ‘Reporters reactions to T-ara’s bullying incident‘. The video quickly spread via SNS, receiving attention from netizens all over the web.

In the actual video, reporters voiced their opinions on the incident saying, “Idol groups are the driving force in K-Pop, and this can be a main factor that can set Hallyu back. No one knows what really happened, but I think we need to also examine the actions of netizens who take things too far.”

Source & Image: TVDaily via Nate

T-ara’s Eunjung did not voluntarily drop out of ‘Five Fingers’?

Despite earlier news that T-ara‘s Eunjung had voluntarily dropped out of the new SBS drama ‘Five Fingers‘, there are now conflicting reports that both the idol and her agency had no idea she was leaving the cast.

A representative from Core Contents Media told OSEN on the 22nd KST, “We’re not sure why there are reports [that Eunjung voluntarily dropped out of the drama]. She had no intention of dropping out, and we don’t believe she has a reason to.”

“We’ve already received a portion of her appearance fee. She even practiced piano and her lines just yesterday… SBS hasn’t even sent in an [official report]. We’re currently figuring out what happened.”

An official from SBS’ drama department stated, “It’s true that we discussed Eunjung leaving the drama. We understand that it’s been agreed upon that she will drop out.”

Eunjung also commented through an acquaintance, “Last Sunday I participated in a test filming, and just yesterday I was practicing the script, so I couldn’t believe that I was leaving the drama so suddenly. I don’t think there’s anything I can do as of now. I’ll follow the decision of the broadcast station SBS and the drama staff.”

What do you guys make of this mix up?

Source: Osen via Nate; Sports Chosun via Nate